Automatic phonograph apparatus



June 2, 1953 H. E. F. c.-LANGENBR1NK AUTOMATIC PHoNoGR'APH APPARATUS 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Nov. 28, 194'? JNVENTOR.

June 2;' 1953 H'.. E. F. c. LINGEN'BRINK 2,640,701 AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH'APARATUS A Filed Nov. 28.51947 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STAT ATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH `APPARATUS Application November 28, 1947., Serial No, '188,468

2 Claims. l

This invention relates to automatic phonograph apparatus and, particularly, to that type of phonograph in which changing of records is effected by dropping successive records onto the turntable from a record supporting structure arranged thereabove. More specifically, the invention concerns phonographs of this general type which employ a two-part record support consisting of a non-rotating curved or bent spindle, adapted to support the center of a stack of records, and a shelf adapted to support thev edge of the stack.

In record supporting arrangements of the kind mentioned, the upper end portion of the curved or bent spindle is adapted to pass through the center hole of the records and is provided with a shoulder on which the records rest; and the shelf is associated with suitable mechanism for moving the lowermost record laterally to dislodge it from the shoulder. The dislodged record is then free to slide down the shank of the spindle and to drop in playing position on the turntable. It has been found that with an arrangement of this kind, the removal of a stack of records from the turntable meets with certain difliculties which arise, chiefly, from the fact that the distance between the curved or bent portion of the spindle and the confronting edge portion of the shelf is such that the latter obstructs the free passage of the records as they are lifted, in a group, along the spindle shank. To overcome these difficulties, it has heretofore been customary to remove the spindle. from its mounting, as by withdrawing it from engagement with the center hole of the records, before the stack of played records could be conveniently removed. A construction which necessitates removal of the spindle is undesirable, mainly because of the additional operation which is required, on the part of the user, each time the phonograph is reloaded, Also, a removable spindle is likely to become misplaced or lost.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to eliminate the aforesaid diculties and objections by the provision of a record support.- ing structure which permits ready removal of the records without necessity of removing the spindle and Without interference by the shelf. To that end, the record supporting structure is of such a character that the curved or bent portion of the spindle is displaced relatively to the edge i portion of the shelf when the last record leaves the support. This displacement of the spindle increases the distance between said curved or bent portion and said edge portion, so, that the stack of played records may be lifted along a 2 straight portion of the spindle, past the shelf, along said curved portion and out of engagement with the spindle.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a record supporting structure of the above-mentioned character in which the displacement of the curved or bent portion of the spindle, in relation to the edge of the shelf, depends upon the presence or the absence of a record on said supporting structure. In accordance With this object of the invention, the required relationship between the curved or bent portion of the spindle and the edge of the shelf, to insure proper support and discharge of the record, is maintained so long as at least one record is on said structure, and in which a new relationship between said portion of the spindle and edge of the shelf, to provide for unobstructed removal of the stack of records, is obtained as soon as said one record leaves the supporting structure.

Another and more specificv object of the invention is tov provide an arrangement whereby the curved or bent spindle, adapted to support the center of a stack of records, automatically changes its position with respect to the shelf adapted to support the edge of the stack, so that in one position, the curved or bent portionl of the spindle is properly located with respect to the shelf to insure adequate supporting and freeing ofthe records for discharge onto the turntable, and in the other position said portion of the spindle becomes so located with respect to the shelf as to provide for unobstructed movement of the stack of records in removing the same.

These and other objects of the invention, and the manner in which they are obtained, will be fully understood from the following description based on the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view, illustrating the general appearance and construction of an ordinary phonograph apparatus with which the mechanism. of the present invention is associated, the apparatus being shown on a greatly reduced scale.;

Figure 2- is an enlarged side view, partly in elevation .and partly in section, looking in the general direction ofv arrows 2,-72 of Figure 1; and

Figures 3*, 4, and l5 are side elevational views, on a reduced scale, of a portion of the phonograph apparatus embodying the invention and showing successive operational steps of the apparatus in use.

With more particular reference to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the essential parts of one form of phonograph to which the invention is applied. As shown, the phonograph includes a base plate or supporting panel I which serves to carry the various parts. A turntable II is rotatably supported by the panel and is adapted to hold the records during the playing thereof. A central spindle, generally indicated at l2, serves to center the records and retain them on the turntable. The turntable is driven, in the customary manner, by means of a suitable motor indicated at I3, preferably through a driven wheel I4, frictionally engaging the usual depending flange of the turntable. A` tone-arm I5 is mounted on the supporting panel Ill for movement, both horizontally and vertically, relative to the turntable. 'Ihe tone-arm carries a suitable pick-up device I B having the usual needle (not shown) which is adapted for engagement with the record groove.

As previously mentioned, the phonograph is of the type in which a stack of records is supported above the turntable, and the records are fed successively to the turntable. To that end and as more clearly shown in Figure 2, the stack of records to be played is supported above the turntable by the central spindle I2 and by a shelf I1 arranged on the base plate and to the side of the turntable. A record-discharging mechanism, including a pusher I8, is associated with the shelf and functions to effect release of the lowermost record in the supported stack. During each record changing cycle, the tone-arm (see Figure l) is moved off and outwardly beyond the edge of the record, the record-discharging mechanism is actuated to drop another record onto the turntable and the tone-arm is then moved inwardly and toward the record so as to bring the pick-up needle into engagement with the starting groove of the new record. The operation of the parts during the record changing cycle can be obtained by any suitable Well known changer mechanism. Such mechanism is not a part of this invention and need not be explained in detail herein. The invention, as above indicated, has to do with the problems attendant to the record supporting structure which will now be described.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and as can be best seen in Figure 2, the turntable is provided with an axially disposed tubular member or central hub I9 Which is rotatably received in a bearing 20 on supporting panel I 0 and which rests on a ball-race thrust bearing 2|, conveniently retained on a suitable mounting bracket 22, attached to said panel. The spindle I2 is provided with a straight portion 23, the lower part of which is freely received in tubular member or hub I9. Moreover, the spindle I2 is provided with a curved or bent portion 29, the upper part of which terminates with a reduced extension 30, providing an inclined shoulder 3|. A displaceable piece 32 is movably connected with said eX- tension 30 and is disposed to provide a second shoulder 33 which normally lies in a position opposite that of shoulder 3l and above the latter, at a distance slightly greater than the thickness of a record. The length of extension 30, which projects above shoulder 3l, is sufficient to accommodate the stack of records to be played, and the cross-sectional dimension of extension 3B and piece 32 is such that said extension and piece fit in the central opening of the records in the supported stack.

The shelf I'I is mounted on a standard 34 suitably arranged on the supporting panel Il). It is to be noted that the shelf is supported above the level of the turntable but below the level of the shoulder 3i, and that the record supporting surfaces of said shelf and shoulder are slanted upwardly in the same direction, and are disposed substantially in the same plane. It is also to be noted that the mounting of the spindle is such that the curved or .bent portion of the latter leans toward the shelf, that the shelf and movable piece 32 face each other, and that the shoulder 3l of the spindle faces away from the shelf. Because of this arrangement, the 4stack of records is supported at an ang-le with respect to the record supporting surface of the turntable, and the upper reduced extension 3B of the spindle engages that peripheral edge portion of the record center hole which is farthest from the shelf. A pivotal holder 35 is provided in order to maintain the stack of records firmly on the supporting surface. By supporting the stack of records in this fashion, adequate retention of the records in their supporting position and proper operation of the pusher to disengage the lowermost record are insured. It will be understood that whereas the lowermost record, because of the spacing between shoulders 3l and 33, is free to slide under the innuence of the pusher, movement of the other superposed record or records in the stack is restrained by the presence of element 32 which occupies the center opening of said other record or records.

In practice, the diameter of the straight and of the curved or bent portions of spindle I2 is slightly less than the diameter of the center hole of the records so as to provide for the free sliding movement of the discharged record along said portions of the spindle, and the distance travelled by pusher I8 is considerably less than the diameter of the center hole of the records and slightly1 more than the length of shoulder 3l so as to protect the record against injury or breakage While providing for suicient lateral displacement of the lowermost record to insure its disengagement from said shoulder. Moreover, as indicated in Figure 2, although the curved or bent portion of the spindle leans toward the shelf, the distance A, that is the generally horizontal distance between the surface of the spindle and the edge of the shelf, which fas said portion, is slightly greater than the radius of the records so as to provide for the clearance of a record being dropped. Thus, as illustrated in Figure 3, actuation of the pusher I8 causes the record in engagement therewith to move laterally in the direction indicated by arrow a until the far edge of the record center hole clears the shoulder 3l. The record then begins to drop of its own weight and, in so doing, follows the curved or angular surface of the curved or bent portion of the spindle, as indicated by arrow b, said surface acting, as a cam, to pull the record laterally, as indicated by arrow c, so that by the time the record reaches a substantially horizontal position, the edge of the record is fully disengaged from the shelf I'I. The record, as shown in Figure 4, is then free to drop along the straight portion of the spindle and into playing position, as indicated by arrow d.

In accordance with the present invention, the lower part of the spindle portion 23 has a reduced section 24 which provides a shoulder 25, and which terminates with a semicircular elongated extension 26. This extension projects for a substantial distance below the turntable hub I9 and beyond the mounting bracket 22. A pair of stops 38 and 29 are arranged in vertically spaced relationship on said extension, and a` member 28r having a. semicircular opening'V 2:1 intowhich the; extensionr rits', dependsf-rom; said bracket and is supported thereby juxtaposition te said extension between` said stops. As illustrated in Figure 4, the spindle is adapted t move. automatically from a. lbwered: or' normal operative position,` shown in brohenl lines, to a raised or inoperative position, shown in full lines, when the last record of the-stack leaves the' supporting structure; Aswill appear from saidFi'gure 4, movementV of spindle I2: from operative position toinoperati-veposi-tion, causes the curved or bent portion ofv said spindle to change its-position with respect' to the edge of the shelf and', as a result, the distance' between Said' portion and said edge. is automatically increased.

Movement of the spindle isV advantageously obtainedx by means ofa coil spring 36 (see Figure 2) which is disposed within the turntable hub to encircle the reduced portion 24 of the spindle, and which has one of its ends in abutting engagement with shoulder 25 and the other of its ends in engagement with a suitable abutment 31. This abutment is conveniently provided by a portion of the housing of ball-race bearing 2l. The construction of the spring 36 is such that it will yield under the weight of a record placed in engagement with the shoulder 3| on the spin- `dle, but will exert suicient force on the spindle to raise it to its inoperative position when no record is in engagement with said shoulder. Upward movement of the spindle under the force of spring 36 is arrested by means of the stop 38 which comes into engagement with the underside of member 28 on bracket 22.- Downward movement of the spindle under the weight of one or more records is arrested by the stop 3S which comes into abutting engagement with the margin of the semicircular opening 21 in said member 23 on bracket 22. It is to be particularly noted that shouldered portion 39 is so located on the spindle that, when the latter is arrested in its lowered position, the record supporting shoulder 3| is properly located, in relation to the shelf il, to provide for the adequate support of the record or records.

Upon reference to Figure 5, it will be evident that when the spindle is in its elevated position, all the records in the stack can be lifted, as a group, off the turntable and readily moved along the spindle and past the shelf without interference by the latter. This is possible because the spindle, when elevated, occupies a position in which the curved or bent portion is spaced at an increased distance from the edge of the shelf so that when removing the records, the stack is guided by the straight portion, as indicated by arrow e (Figure 5), and remains in a substantially horizontal position until the stack reaches a position clear of the shelf. From this latter position, the stack, guided by the curved or bent portion, as indicated by arrow f, may assume an angular position and still stay clear of the edge of the shelf which would otherwise interfere with and obstruct the passage of the stack, as represented in Figure 4. Disengagement of the stack of records from the spindle is facilitated by the provision of the displaceable element 32. This element is moved, as represented in broken lines in Figure 5, by contact of shoulder 33 with the record stack being removed, and thus the element assumes a position which allows the records to slip readily 01T the spindle.

From the foregoing description, it will be appredates that. in` effect,l the yieidarlyv msvabie captive spindle provides. for' automatic; adjust! menty of the curved or bent-portion. of. the. spin.-

dier with respectto' the forward edge.- of the ehem.,

for the purpose of allowing free movement. of the recordstack`v itsY removal fromk the` turntable. It willr also. be appreciated that the yieldably movable spindle and, its mounting, in acordancewith this invention, cooperate to provide for an automatic returnf of the spindle. tonormal opera-1 tive position whenever one record or a stack of several records is placed. in supportingv engage-- ment. with said spindle. Inv this.v manner, the proper distance between said portionof the-spin,- die and edge of the shelf is automatically estab,- lished te insure adequate operation of the apparati-1s, as soon; as records are arranged on the supporting structure. Moreover, since moverrn-:ntl of' the captive spindle to and from operative and inoperative positions is automatic and depends solely upon the presence or the absence of a recto support records at their center, a mounting base upon which said shelf and said spindle are mounted with said curved portion of the spindle leaning toward said shelf, and means associated with said spindle and with said base to provide for sliding upward and downward displacement of said spindle, said means including a stop arrangement and a resilient element, said stop arrangement consisting of a pair of spaced abutments on the spindle and a stop member on said base located between said abutments, the spacing between said abutments and the location of said stop member with respect to said abutments being so related that the spindle is arrested in a predetermined lowered position in which said upper curved portion of the spindle guides records toward and in overlapping engagement with said shelf, and being so related that the spindle is arrested in a predetermined raised position in which said lower straight portion of the spindle guides records being moved upwardly along the spindle to a level above and clear of the shelf before reaching said curved portion, said spring element engaging the spindle and being suinciently stiif to move the spindle upwardly and to maintain the latter in said predetermined upper position in the absence of records on said shoulder, said spring element further being sufciently yieldable to permit the spindle to be displaced downwardly and to be maintained in said predetermined lowered position by the weight of at least one record placed on said shoulder.

2. Record supporting structure for automatic phonographs of the type in which records are supported peripherally and centrally and are dropped successively onto a turntable, comprising a shelf adapted to support records at their periphery, an upright spindle having a, lower straight portion and an upper curved portion, the latter being provided with a shoulder adapted 7 to support records at their center, a mounting base upon which said shelf and said spindle are mounted with said curved portion of the Spindle leaning toward said shelf, said spindle and said base carrying interengageable abutment means spaced to arrest the spindle in a predetermined lowered position in which said upper curved DOT- tion of the spindle guides records toward and in overlapping engagement with said shelf, and being spaced to arrest the spindle in a predetermined raised position in which said lower straight portion of the spindle guides records being moved upwardly along the spindle to a level above and clear of the shelf before reaching said curved portion, and resilient means engaging the spindle and normally urging and maintaining it in said predetermined raised position in the absence of records on said shoulder, said resilient means being suiciently yield- 8 able to permit said spindle to be displaced downwardly and to be maintained in said predetermined lowered position by the Weight of at least one record on said shoulder.

HERMANN E. F. C. LIN GENBRINK.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,063,199 Slater Dec. 8, 1936 2,374,080 Dale Apr. 17, 1945 2,457,106 Pressley Dec. 21, 1948 2,496,658 Dale Feb. 7, 1950 2,555,478 Einde et al June 5, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 459,208 Great Britain Jan. 4, 1937 

